TOPIC: Ultimate Beer Thread (no carling or fosters )

Birra Moretti



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I will raise you with Innis & Gunn Craft Lager!

Whenever I visited my brother in Salford a pint or 2 of Joseph Holts always went down well.

Leffe Blonde

Loweswater Gold...end of thread

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Not for you too decide

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Very much liking Thornbridge Jaipur right now.

As well as Brewdog's Punk IPA and Batemans Gold.

Birra Morretti is as mass produced as Fosters etc. They are a Heineken company.

Marstons Old Empire IPA.

On this subject I had a wander round Carlisle Bars yesterday and found a lack of Craft Beers available. As a pub and company I can't get my head round what Craft is and what people's expectations of it are. Should it come in a Can, Bottle or on Draught? Is it just real ale that has been mass produced? As an example my area manager told me we needed to improve our craft offer so should get San Miguel in!
What do people on here think Craft Beer is all about?

It's a good question, craft beer is generally accepted to be produced on a small scale, by an independent brewery.

Real ale just refers to live, cask/bottle conditioned British beer. So obviously it can be viewed as craft in itself.

As opposed to being produced on a mega industrial scale, by the likes of AB-InBev or Molson Coors.

Your area manager needs some product training.

That's quite a good guide:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofm...beer-guide-beginners

On the flip side a lot of what is deemed to be Craft seems to come from the USA either import or brewed under licence. Joined a Facebook group yesterday and it's given me more questions than answers.
From the UK Brewdog seems to be championed as Craft masters yet on the group I joined yesterday they get called a lot for mass production and selling out via their Equity for Punks scheme!

That will mainly be because the 'craft revolution' began in the US and then we've followed. There's been a massive increase in the amount of breweries opening in the UK.

There's breweries like Beavertown in the UK that produce some great stuff. Locally you've got plenty, including places like Hardknott at Barrow, Coniston brewery and Carlisle Brewing Co.

Naturally as Brewdog get bigger and more successful they are going to have to produce more. The equity for Punks scheme is just a members club under a different name. The actual control they are giving up is small.

mattcufc wrote:
I don't want to paint myself as some kind of expert, but I take quite an interest in this area, know a few people that run beershops and that so I'd be happy to try answer any questions that I can.

Yeah it's an area where I can't get what people want. We stocked a few craft n didn't sell as soon as we stopped selling it people were asking for it! After my walk round town yesterday I think we will be going big on it as nobodyelse is doing it well in Carlisle

It's definitely a growing market. I normally find that Wetherspoons/Lloyds tend to have a decent range in, especially when they do their Ale Festivals.

Is Moo Bar still in Carlisle ? Didn't they try and bring quite a few beers in ?

There's quite a few craft bars here in Lincoln, but I'd put that more down to the big student population.

That's where Real Ale v Craft Ale is confusing things! I really don't think people in general know the difference and there's probably a lot of people drinking things like Morretti and San Miguel thinking its craft when it isn't!

Exactly, they more fit into a like 'premium lager' category.

I think people sometimes think if what they are drinking isn't a major brand, it must be craft.

What confuses it even more is that the big breweries are buying up craft breweries, but leaving the name unchanged.

Never drank a craft beer, because don't really know what they are, not wasting money to try one.
Maybe a reason Moretti is mass produced, because it's nice!
Don't understand the wank fest over real ales or craft!
If your on a pub crawl you can't get same drink from pub to pub? Where's the pleasure in that?

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I really like Pennine ale (possibly one of the loveliest beers I've drunk) and Golden Plover by Allendale breweries. Regularly pop across to buy some.

There's lots of small(ish) Scottish breweries I like, Wallace, Stewart Brewing (my local). I love Birds and Bees but that's probably mass market now. Tried Corby Blonde recently and liked that. Also like spin drifter by Adams (it's 'summer blonde' in Marks and Spencer's.

Brew Dog's Dead Pony is lovely too. My friend has shares.

Was in New York about 3 years ago - spent a whole day in a pub offering over 80 craft beers.

I recognise these probably aren't 'real beers' but I like them.

TopDog74 wrote: The majority of them now will have a small description on the pump clip, failing that, ask to taste some, it's rare anywhere will say no.

Morretti is a quite nice lager, but just because something is mass produced doesn't mean it's decent quality, Desperados for instance is rank.

Maybe that's the point ? I get far more pleasure from trying lots of different beers, rather than drinking the same one day in day out. Most Craft beer/real ale are under 5% too are perfect for a session.

DeckchairBlue wrote: Next time am in spoons I will maybe try the sample option.
I mentioned Moretti because it is quality, very nice, if can't get that, most places have Amstel or Heineken as a option.
I was drinking Guinness at hartlepool away, partly because don't like drinking decent stuff in pubs, then when you get to ground they only have carlsberg or some similar shit, so I drank Guinness that day until I got ground, no Guinness, so that back fired.
If am out on sesh, prefer to drink same stuff most night, not walking in next pub thinking oh what shall I have in here, looking up and down bar for options specially if it's a busy Saturday night, hence the Moretti, Amstel, Heineken option.

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I find there's a lot of snobbery attached to real /craft ales with always someone ready to tell you what you like isn't a "proper" ale as it's main stream now blah blah.

Drink what you like. Moretaine, Heineken etc are decent lagers. I prefer to try a fruity ipa type drink so ones I look out for include Thwaite Wainwright, Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted or others like that.

The choice in the beehive has gone right off recently - they seem to have Green King stuff in which I don't like. They had Shipyard Pale ale which was alright but have replaced it with another pale ale but it's pricey.

From the supermarket I like Goose Island - an American ipa or Sharps Atlantic pale/special ale. Both worth trying.

If the guy who owns the company has a beard and a checked shirt then its a craft ale

I think there's a market for blended lagers. Carling and Fosters for example could make Carlsters. Old dregs fag end blend would be a premium product

Wheat beers are where its at

Aye TD, you weren't happy when the beehive didn't stock tins of Skol!

Fear not aleheads - as we speak one of the big brewers will be re-inventing one of their worst performing bottles of pish. It will be re-packaged with a gold foil top wrap and a retro Laurie Lee type label, call it Golden Sunset with the tag line 'brewed in the barn and matured in centuries old oak casks' then they will spend half a million quid on a TV campaign featuring a buxom dairy maid enjoying a swift one in a candle lit barn with a bare chested bullock walloper. Bob's yer uncle, the suckers will be scrambling over each other at the bar to pay four quid a bottle. Job Sorted. Well it worked for Magners.

If you go to any country pub now the choice of locally brewed real ales is overwhelming. In the North East I'm particularly fond of Alnwick Amber Ale (3.8%). The only thing I find is some small breweries' IPA type ales are just too hoppy to drink but fortunately most pubs will give you a free taster before you order.

CCU wrote: If you we're in my gaff I would have bought you a Skol /Hooch not left you to buy your own

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Badgers Golden Champion and Hob Goblin/King Goblin.

Can't remember the name but the local ale they served at the monkey hangers ground was great.

I remember it was Camerons.

Made it a very good

I am a hophead, so IPAs are always my choice - not Greene King (Insipid Piss Awful). Round here Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 hop takes some beating. Brew dog beers are good, Jack Hammer being my fave. The Americans are leaving us behind when it comes to awesome IPAs, probably due to the fact that American hops are ideal for the job.

Totally agree ginger. The green Kong ipa in the beehive was very very poor. Sure it's the drink rather than how they keep it bit if anyone from the beehive comes on her - get rid of the green king beers!!

Also agree about the American ipa's. Definitely my favourite genre of beer.

Don't like Beer or Lager or Cider.

ParcelPete wrote: You drink Rose?

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Ha Ha, Red Wine is my tipple

Jennings - Cockerhoop

Envile and Bathams, both Black Country brews and both excellent

Dortmunder Union Export. I spent three years in Germany drinking it

Black Sheep

Ginger Tosser

Just a coup[le of quotes on this thread.

The Beehive (was part of Spirit Group) has recently been taken over by Greene King so there is no chance of them getting rid of Greene King beers.

America has never had any hand pulls, it was all keg. So when the new micro breweries started they all had to be keg, hence the craft tag.

I have noticed that the Moo bar in Carlisle seems to be getting less & less beers on the hand pumps.Was 24 when it opened but last week it was down to 14. probably not getting enough trade for them all I suppose but the defening music on a Sat night I am sure wont help trade either. Totally agree about the Greene King "beer" in the Beehive which is my local. Started drining Guinness in there instead of the bitter as i think GK beer is awful..

Theif idea seems to be very good, but you'd think they were always going to have the problem of being able to shift the stuff before it goes off. Having 24 beers on tap at a time is surely going to lead to a lot of stuff going bad.

Liberation Ale

Re - Moo Bar that's exactly what I thought when I was in. Far too many beers to keep in good condition and to finish before it wastes.

Surely offering less (but still more than most people could try in one night!) Makes sense if there is a wide variety to keep everyone happy.

Beehive - massive shame they are tied into Greene King. The bitter and IPA in there last weekend we're seriously disappointing. I think they had the Spun Gold by Carlisle Brewery bit that wasn't much better either.

Sharps Atlantic Exceptional ale (amongst others) is on offer at tesco. 4 for 6 quid. Give it a go if you like it fruity!

Down here in Stockport we have 8-9 'multi-ale' freehouses with a choice of between 6 and 14 different cask ales on at any one time (e.g. the same concept as Moo Bar where as one beer runs out it is replaced by something different).
People tend to choose there drinks by style rather than brewery so you know they will usually have on a good mix of pales, best bitters, stouts, porters and often a mild depending on what you fancy.
It works here as the majority of these pubs are very popular, all nights of the week not just weekends, so new casks are never on the chalkboard for more than 2-3 days.
One thing I will say is the majority of these freehouses also have a mainstream lager or two on so there is a good mix of people drinking different stuff.
I have been to Moo Bar after a game and liked it but wondered if it had enough seating/capacity for the volume of beers they had on. The area does need more places like that supporting cumbrian brewers.

The Isle of Skye Brewing Company do a nice range of beers, and even better, they have an online shop. Skye Red is my own favourite.

mattcufc wrote:
Totally agree, this stuff is gorgeous, It is described well on the bottles. I love the stuff.

Old Carrock is a personal favourite a Stout from the Hesket and newmarket brewery, along with High Pike. Vampire ale a stout from Croglin is excellent also.

Not a connoisseur on peeve like but like a Guinness or 3 when am out and about and just sup lager in the house bit of a tight arse so just what's on offer in tescos though keo is tidy at a fiver for 3 pint bottles in tescos only 2 I can think pure shite and that was hoergarden and dead crow they were mingin but me own fault cos they were on offer and thought a was getting a bargain

Hell Below have some decent draught on but at upto £4.80 a pint is bit steep. Camden Wit is one of the better ones available, similar to hoegarden but actually tastes nice.
Moo Bar is a funny one too many pumps on when they first opened to keep the beer quality good enough meant it soon got a reputation for great choice but very hit and miss on the quality, notably didn't make the Good Beer Guide. Though they also have some good draught from the keg available though. Reasonable pricing but as said earlier lack of seating means it's doesn't feel that customer friendly.

Hard to beat Wandsworth 6x ands neck lifter imho